As the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is becoming dominant in Sri Lanka, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) has called on the government to impose tougher movement restrictions sooner than later.

“There is no time left for complacency,” the AMS President, Dr. Lakkumar Fernando said in a press release titled ‘COVID-19: We are on the edge.’

The AMS went on to urge to the government to revisit its COVID-19 restrictions protocols in the wake of surging numbers of critical patients and deaths.

“Even though we have the best vaccination drive in the world (at present), we don’t expect the current vaccination drive to have an impact on the present wave of the epidemic which is playing havoc in our country.”

The AMS said it is their responsibility to alert and warn the relevant authorities once again of the grim situation, “not only as law abiding citizens but also as key stakeholders in the national healthcare delivery system.”

The measures to be taken could even amount to a rigorously implemented curfew as this may be the only successful means of curtailing people’s movement, the AMS pointed out, adding that they are aware of the urgency the government has in getting the economy back on track, with the declining economic performance indicators and the hardships of the daily wage earners.

“However, disregarding the ground realities will invariably stall economic progress due to surging COVID-19 related mortality and morbidity and uncertainty and fear created in the global arena.”

Speaking on the worsening situation, the AMS said, the country has reached its maximum capacity in almost all of the healthcare facilities. “States morgues have already exceeded their storage capacity.”

The situation is equally grim even if one has the financial means as the private sector healthcare facilities are also stretched to their limits, the AMS added.

“There is a daily exponential rise in the number of oxygen dependent patients,” the AMS pointed out.

The association went on to highlight that it will be matter of days until Sri Lanka reaches catastrophic dimensions due to the increasing demand for beds, oxygen and trained personnel.

This will claim lives of COVID-19 as well as patients with other diseases and conditions who require urgent treatment who would otherwise have survived, the AMS explained.